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One might excuse Oliver Glasner for wishing to enjoy a restful few days with his loved ones in Austria before Christmas, rather than gearing up for Crystal Palace's twenty-ninth game of the season—a League Cup last-eight clash against Arsenal. Yet, the notion that Palace could prioritize other tournaments was quickly dismissed by their boss.

"No, I don't think so," declared Glasner following his team's side's four-one loss to Leeds. "Should anyone tells me that we lose deliberately, the following day I'm no longer the coach any more."

There is a marked difference in Glasner's strategy to domestic cup competitions compared to his forerunner, Roy Hodgson. This initially became clear during Palace's run to the Carabao Cup quarter-finals in his first full season in charge. Under Hodgson, the team had already been eliminated from both the Carabao Cup and the FA Cup by the time Glasner took over at Selhurst Park. In contrast, Glasner picked his strongest lineup for victories over Norwich, QPR, and Aston Villa, setting up a meeting with Arsenal.

That prior last-eight tie ended in a 3-2 loss at the Emirates Stadium, due to a rather controversial hat-trick from Gabriel Jesus, despite Palace having led at half-time. Almost exactly twelve months later, Glasner must devise a plan for revenge versus the current Premier League pace-setters in a fixture that was rescheduled to this week owing to European obligations.

The Price of Achievement and Continental Fatigue

Glasner has, in a way, been a casualty of his own achievements. Leading Palace to their first major trophy with a win in the FA Cup final subsequently brought the demands of European football for the first time. These pressures are catching up with some weary squad members, many of whom have barely enjoyed a rest all term.

The coach fielded an entirely different team, including four youngsters, in their final Conference League fixture. Yet, for the Arsenal game, he conceded he will have "no option" but to choose the bulk of his first-choice team, which appeared decidedly lethargic as they unusually conceded four goals from set-pieces against Leeds. "Must. Yes, must," he affirmed.

Arsenal's Viewpoint and Team Considerations

On Mikel Arteta and Arsenal, the situation are different. The boss must juggle his ambition to win a second major trophy with extreme pragmatism. Last year, a hamstring injury to Bukayo Saka sustained in a league game versus Palace just days after their Carabao Cup comeback greatly harmed their title aspirations.

Arteta had implemented several changes for that cup match but was forced to bring on his "key players" after the break. Saka was introduced from the bench to set up Jesus for a crucial goal in a passage of play that left Glasner "incensed" over a possible offside, with no VAR in operation—a scenario that will be the case again on Tuesday.

Arsenal have an eight-match unbeaten streak versus Palace, including seven wins. Gabriel Jesus, who scored a hat-trick in last season's League Cup meeting and two in a subsequent league win before suffering a long-term knee injury, is expected to start for the first since that setback. Arteta revealed the striker wrote a "beautiful" letter to his teammates about what football signifies to him.

"We're used to it," said Arteta on the busy fixture list. "I think this week was the sole full week we had to get ready. The rest until February at least is will be similar. We have a beautiful chance to go into the last four of a tournament so we will be ready."

With important players returning from injury and a desire to advance, Arsenal pose a daunting test for a Crystal Palace side desperately in need of a spark as the holiday schedule intensifies.